It was too short. Ten days. How could he find a house to live in within that time? Moreover, unlike 5 years ago, this time he had to find a house entirely on his own strength.
“I’m really sorry. It’s so sudden…. Instead, I won’t take this month’s rent. I’d like you to vacate as quickly as possible. Soohyun-ssi.”
He felt like tears would come, but Soohyun swallowed tears along with saliva. Unable to answer properly, he barely nodded. He blankly watched her back as she hurriedly left the rooftop, then squatted on the floor. Two rooms, a living room-cum-kitchen and even a bathroom—it wasn’t very big but it was a precious space. Soohyun brightened his blurred vision and looked around inside the house.
“Where… should I go?”
There was nowhere to go. Soohyun thought of Chaeho very briefly, then immediately shook his head. Because he couldn’t hurt that child anymore. If he’d decided to push him away, he couldn’t lean on him anymore.
“Let’s go to work for now. I need to look for a house too….”
Because of the rain, he had to hurry more than usual. He felt momentarily daunted at the thought of walking through the damp streets, but he still had to go. Soohyun hurriedly finished the side dishes he was making and packed a lunchbox. After packing his bag with the lunchbox, change of clothes, socks and underwear, he took a large umbrella and left.
“……”
Just before leaving the rooftop, Soohyun turned his body to look at the rooftop room. Thinking that the house that had embraced him for the past 5 years would disappear, an indescribable feeling assaulted him. He couldn’t help feeling like he was being kicked out before he could properly stand out in the world on his own.
“Chaeho….”
When he’d completely descended the rusty metal stairs, Chaeho was standing in front of the building. Standing by the car with an umbrella as if waiting for Soohyun, his completely hardened face stuck in his eyes.
“Get in. I’ll give you a ride.”
“Chaeho. It’s fine….”
“Can’t you not say you’re fine? In the rain, to walk there….”
Was it because of the pattering rain sound? Chaeho’s voice sounded as if it were wet. Soohyun obediently got into his car. Only after seeing Soohyun sit down did Chaeho get into the driver’s seat.
“Yesterday, did you get home well…?”
“If it were you, hyung, would you have gotten home well?”
His sharp words left him speechless. The child who had been young had grown up considerably and was looking ahead with manly eyes.
“Sorry….”
“I told you not to say you’re sorry. I’m also… really like an idiot.”
“Chaeho.”
“No matter how much you say you dislike it, hyung, I’ll just do as I please. I’ll keep liking you.”
Before he knew it, Chaeho’s car had arrived in front of Seojun’s officetel. Though he’d arrived nearly an hour earlier than usual, Soohyun’s body was comfortable since he didn’t have to walk through the rainy streets. Though his heart was uncomfortable.
“Thank you.”
“They say the rain will stop in the afternoon.”
“Yeah.”
To Chaeho who wouldn’t even try to look at his face properly, Soohyun barely left only the words “thank you” and got out of the car. Though he was hurt, he felt sorry for and grateful to him who came because he was worried. Though he’d received too much from him to even count, what Soohyun could give was too little.
Only words like thank you, I’m sorry.
“It’s early, but… should I go in anyway?”
Though it was just past 8:30, having nowhere else to go, Soohyun headed inside the officetel. Like he’d done before, he took the elevator and entered Seojun’s house.
“Lee Soohyun-ssi?”
“Ah…. Hello.”
He thought Seojun might be here since he came this early. Having just finished showering, he was standing in the living room wearing a bathrobe.
“How did you come this early…?”
Seojun tilted his head. Moreover, it was even a rainy day, so he’d been thinking Soohyun might be later than usual, but to come nearly an hour early. Seojun examined Soohyun and discovered that not only his sleeves but even his pants hem weren’t wet at all and were fluffy.
“It rained a lot….”
“A younger sibling I know gave me a ride.”
A younger sibling he knows—that’s right. Chaeho was exactly that much. No, precisely, he had to be. Not a lover or boyfriend or anything like that, but just the word ‘younger sibling’ who knew Soohyun well, too well, was the word that should define the relationship between him and himself.
“Gave you a ride… then you rode in a car?”
Soohyun substituted silence for an answer. Seojun’s eyes, which had been gentle until just now, twisted and his gaze toward Soohyun cooled coldly.
“Choi Seojun-ssi…?”
“Was it a lie that you couldn’t ride in cars?”
“It’s not like that. I can only ride in Chaeho’s car. Other cars….”
“Chaeho? Did Soohyun-ssi have another man?”
Seojun was angry. His emotional changes were so fast that Soohyun’s slow pace couldn’t possibly follow him. What was wrong this time again? Soohyun recalled the conversation they’d just had. Another man.
“Choi Seojun-ssi, what are you saying right now?”
“If you had a man, you should have said so from the beginning. At least I wouldn’t have become pathetic. Lee Soohyun-ssi must be quite an amazing person.”
“It’s not like that….”
“How can you work at the center while having a man you’re seeing? Enough to even do pheromone care? Do you need money that badly?”
Even while watching Soohyun’s eyes tremble weakly, Seojun didn’t stop. He hated him for not accepting his feelings as much as the affection he had for him. The face that confessed pain, utterly forlorn, kept coming to mind even after he left. The sad eyes and the beautiful face with a faint smile didn’t disappear.
“Chaeho and I aren’t in that kind of relationship. And….”
“And what else?”
“If it’s uncomfortable for you that I work here.”
Seojun’s forehead wrinkled severely. He didn’t want to be rough with the sick Soohyun, but Seojun couldn’t hold back and grabbed Soohyun’s wrist strongly.
“I never said it was uncomfortable!”
Confessing, then getting angry, then demanding sex. Despite Seojun’s incomprehensible behavior, Soohyun couldn’t kick his seat and leave.
Because for Soohyun who had nothing, even this kind of job was desperate. If he had to endure his whims to continue this work, which was practically the only thing he with his broken mind could do, then he had to.
Seojun slowly released the strength in the hand that had grabbed Soohyun’s wrist. His face that had turned deathly pale last time overlapped.
“Just when I see Lee Soohyun-ssi…. Anyway, what is your relationship with that person called Chaeho?”
Though he still thought his attitude prying into his relationship with Chaeho was strange, Soohyun thought if he could clear up his misunderstanding with that, talking a little wouldn’t be bad.
“He’s really just a younger sibling I know. I’ve known him for quite a long time too….”
“Then. How can you ride in that person’s car?”
“Actually it hasn’t been long. Maybe because we’ve known each other a long time, Chaeho’s car was okay.”
“How long have you known each other?”
“10 years… it is.”
“Ha… have you tried other cars? Did they not work either?”
Soohyun couldn’t understand why Seojun was asking such things. But seeing his angry face gradually soften, he wanted to tell the truth.
“I haven’t tried other cars. I tried the bus, but….”
“The bus? So you haven’t tried other cars yet?”
“Yes. I didn’t have the opportunity.”
Seojun stared intently at Soohyun’s face as he continued the story calmly. It really seemed like there was nothing between him and that person called Chaeho. Even so, an inexplicable emotion toward that man ‘Chaeho’ whom he only knew by name welled up in Seojun. Though Soohyun explained he was just a younger sibling he knew, that person seemed to be someone this person named Lee Soohyun, who seemed like he’d crumble, opened his heart to and talked to.
“Are all your curious questions resolved?”
“Huh? Yeah… well….”
“I need to prepare to work now.”
Before he knew it, the time was pointing near 9:30 AM. Soohyun picked up the bag he’d put down on the floor for a moment and entered the small room, and Seojun looked at Soohyun’s figure, then messed up his hair muttering.
“This is crazy, I’m crazy, Choi Seojun.”
Clearly until Soohyun came home, he’d decided to treat him well, to try to make him open his heart. When another man’s name popped out of his mouth, even he thought he’d acted poorly. Seojun, whose eyes met with Soohyun who came out after changing clothes as usual, hid his reddened cheeks, turned his head, and entered the room.
‘Choi Seojun-ssi….’
Soohyun still found him difficult. Being kind then getting angry again. The attitude he’d shown just now was strange no matter how much he thought about it. Thinking about it, it didn’t really matter if he let him misunderstand. Looking at the door to the room he’d entered, Soohyun went straight to the kitchen. It was time to start work.
‘Why did I do that?’
Why did he, who was known for being well-mannered and kind, say poor words whenever he stood before Soohyun? Seojun couldn’t settle his heart and fidgeted the entire way to the company.
“Seojun-ah, is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Seojun, who rarely showed it even when upset, had a face full of worries and concerns for some reason today. Jinwoo, who’d been watching Seojun’s mood through the rearview mirror, asked in a low tone.
“Huh? No, just….”
How many people could confidently confess that they’d become interested in Soohyun, that they’d ended up developing feelings for someone from the Omega Home Care Service Center? Moreover, Seojun was a ‘star.’ Even to Jinwoo who knew his circumstances inside and out, he couldn’t bring up stories about Soohyun.
“If you have any worries, tell me in advance. Today’s an important meeting, so manage your expression well.”
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
Who would have imagined that the great Choi Seojun would end up confiding something like romantic advice to someone else? Seojun took quite a bit of time like cooking rice, then turned his mind.
“You know. That Shinwoo hyung from last time.”
“Shinwoo hyung? Oh yeah. But why suddenly?”
“That hyung contacted me yesterday….”
Seojun thought of the name of someone he hadn’t been in contact with for a while. Shinwoo was an alpha who once had quite a bit of interaction with Seojun, but these days they weren’t particularly in contact. But that’s why he used Shinwoo as an excuse all the more. It was important that he was someone Jinwoo wouldn’t verify.
“What did he contact you about? Hasn’t it been a while since you were in touch?”
“Ah… well, hyung said he’s got someone on his mind these days.”
“On his mind? Is he dating?”
